Dog Show

Have you seen a happier girl?

Bangkok has tons of open-to-the-public trade shows and conventions. We went to a kids one hoping they would have some good deals on toys but ending up scoring with Claire when we visited a dog show that was going on across the way simultaneously. She got to hold the puppy pictured above and pet TONS of little dogs, most of which were dolled up by adoring owners happy to let a little foreign girl pet them, especially when she asked in Thai. Can you believe this one? 

Hua Hin Getaway

Not an advertisement.  This is really what it looked like.  The "Lagoon Pool."  I had it to myself.

Jonathan had an off-site training meeting at a resort on a beach close to Bangkok (about 2 hours). Families were invited, but he was going to be in meetings all day, so taking the kids didn't appeal to me. However, leaving the kids did! We asked one of Sylvie's teachers from church to come stay at our house, as well as our regular helper who is great with Paul, and it all worked out great. We got a very relaxing 2-day getaway, and the girls had lots of fun, too. Here are a few more shots of some of the flower arrangements around the resort.

Our New School Girl

Like the reflection in the glass cabinet?

Sylvie was excited to join Claire at her Thai preschool this term, especially when she found out she gets this snazzy new swimming uniform! I was a little worried about her adjustment, since Claire still has hard days, but she has not looked back. Not a tear. She is excited every morning to get ready, especially to put on her backpack. What is it about kids and backpacks? Claire likes being the older sister and showing her the ropes. Sylvie's head teacher is one of the smiliest people I've ever met, and of course, they all love Sylvie. She comes home with some very fancy hair-do's. I guess they re-do hair after naps, and somehow manage to put the tiniest, tightest French braids into her bob.

A Typical Day with Dad

Three troopers in the heat

Paul is sick, so I stayed home today and J took the girls to the local zoo. Typical of Thailand and typical of a day with Dad, there were elephants to feed:

circus tricks:

ugly coin-operated things that kids love:

politically incorrect shows (Acrobatic Kenya Boys Show):

and cold treats!

Ocean World

Diver Sylvie at Siam Ocean World in the basement of the Siam Paragon Mall

We spent our Labor Day at Ocean World in downtown Bangkok. It is a nice aquarium and an air-conditioned retreat. My favorite room was the jellyfish. It was set up like a dark lounge with a round couch and pillows. There was a wonderful classical piano soundtrack as you watched a wall-full of illuminated jellyfish expand and contract. J's favorite was the shark tunnel. As you walked through, sharks and other fish were swimming overhead and all around you. Here are a few more pictures:

spider crab

 fish feeding

 underwater lecture

 McWai

Staycation

 With a Thai holiday on Thursday, Claire and Jonathan both got Friday off, as well.  J was starting to plan another family trip and was asking my opinion of where to go. It all sounded exhausting to me, and I said, "You want to know what would be a real vacation for me?--if you took the girls away for a few days and left me home to work on projects." So, my hero husband did just that. He and the girls (and another family) went to a fairly close beach for two nights. I was able to spread my things out on the dining room table and not worry about putting them away for meals. I ate left-overs all weekend and didn't leave the house. I finished Sylvie's baby book, made a year's worth of birthday cards, and started to edit family movies (daunting!). Of course, with Paul and his needs, it wasn't completely uninterrupted time, but by the end, I was happy to see the girls again and have a little noise in the house. Apparently, J and the girls had fun until the last day when Claire got stung by a jellyfish, but I can't share any pictures because J's hands were too full all weekend to get even one shot!

Queen's Birthday

Claire wore makeup for the first time and requested a special hair-do for her performance.

In Thailand, Mother's Day is celebrated on the Queen's birthday and Father's Day on the King's. Many schools have class performances on these days, and the mothers and fathers are invited to attend, respectively. My expectations of a preschool performance were minimal, but this school Claire attends always seems to strive for "above and beyond." Claire was a part of three separate numbers (of the 16! on the program). The outfit pictured above had to be purchased for her class performance. It luckily fit the white dress requirement for her music class performance, but we had to rent a ballet costume, as well. She was expected to wear makeup and have her hair in a bun. The program started with an awards ceremony, a little like graduation, where each kid had to walk across the stage, bow to the principal, receive their certificate and get their photo taken. Then came the 16 different performances. Claire's music class one was the most entertaining. I had asked her what she would be playing, and she told me, "the pinano" [sic]. Turns out she just stood by a keyboard while the teacher played the melody to "Twinkle, Twinkle" and the rest of the kids pounded or blew on something. Afterward, she confessed to me that she "forgot the notes" but that she "didn't think anyone saw." I had brought Sylvie because she was so excited to see Claire perform, but about half-way through, I knew we needed to get some fresh air and a snack. One of the other mothers saw me downstairs and was worried I was leaving before the finale, so I returned, only to have to sit through five mothers' speeches. Sylvie fell asleep. I can say that I am proud of Claire for going to school each day and not comprehending almost all of what is being said, because I could hardly take half a day of it.